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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 116 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  2. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  3. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  4. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  5. The ________________ market has crashed.
  6. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  7. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  8. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  9. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  10. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  11. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  12. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  13. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  14. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  15. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  16. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  17. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  18. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  19. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  20. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  21. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  22. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  23. The ________________ took off on time.
  24. The moon will ________________ and wane.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. hand — in cards
  2. stock — a soup base
  3. wax — for sculpting
  4. hand — help
  5. stock — shares
  6. plane — a tool
  7. ruler — for measuring
  8. stock — goods
  9. cue — for pool
  10. branch — a division
  11. wake — a trail
  12. ruler — a monarch
  13. branch — of a bank
  14. hand — part of the body
  15. wake — before a funeral
  16. plane — in geometry
  17. cue — a hint
  18. ruler — for measuring
  19. cue — a signal
  20. branch — of a tree
  21. wax — in the ear
  22. wake — to stop sleeping
  23. plane — an aircraft
  24. wax — to grow

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com